1teaspoonCajun or Creole seasoningsuch as Tony Chacere’s or Monster Creole
1teaspoonsmoked paprika
For Jambalaya
½cupbaconabout 6 pieces, cooked and chopped
1large yellow onionabout 2 cups, diced (reserve ½ cup for sauce)
2cupscelerydiced
1green bell pepperdiced
1red bell pepperdiced
1yellow bell pepperdiced
6garlic clovesminced
1poundchicken breastdiced
1poundandouille sausageor other Cajun sausage (we used Louisiana Brand hot links from Costco), sliced diagonally
1cupgrape tomatoeshalved
10ouncecan Rotel tomatoes and green chilisdrained
1bunch green onionssliced
1bunch Italian parsleychopped (reserve ½ for garnish)
1TablespoonWorcestershire sauce
1TablespoonTabasco sauceor other hot sauce
1Tablespoonred wine vinegar
1teaspoonsmoked paprika
¼teaspooncayenne pepper
1poundbow tie pasta
For Tomato Cream Sauce
1Tablespoonolive oil
½cupyellow oniondiced
2clovesgarlicminced
1Tablespoonbrown sugar
½teaspoonblack pepper
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoondried thyme
½teaspoontried oregano
½teaspoondried basil
28ouncecan diced tomatoes
1cupcream
Instructions
Chicken Marinade Rub
Cut 1 pound chicken breasts in to bite size pieces. Place in a bowl or other dish. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and smoked paprika and rub in.Let sit for 15 minutes to marinate before cooking chicken.
Jambalaya
In a large pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and place on paper towel lined plate to absorb grease. Chop when cooled and set aside.
Drain bacon grease from pot, reserve 1 Tablespoon bacon grease and reserved “bits”to cook onion in. Sauté 1 ½ cups chopped onion for 3-4 minutes in bacon grease, then add chopped celery, and red, yellow and green peppers for about 5 minutes more.
Add garlic and blend into other ingredients. Add chicken pieces to pot and sauté to cook throughly.
Add sliced sausage to pot and continue to sauté ingredients. Add chopped bacon, grape tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes/chilies green onions, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, red wine vinegar, and smoked paprika in pot and stir to combine.
Let pot simmer for 30 minutes. While it is simmering, make the tomato cream sauce (instruction below) and cook your bow tie pasta according to package directions (cook 8-10 minutes for al dente).
After pasta is drained and tomato cream sauce is finished, add sauce to meat and vegetables. Then gently toss with pasta and stir to blend well. Garnish with reserved chopped parsley. Serve.
Tomato Cream Sauce
Sauté ½ cup chopped onions in olive oil. Add garlic, brown sugar, pepper, salt, thyme, oregano, and basil.
Add diced canned tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes.
Reduce heat and add cream. Stir to blend well. Blend with immersion blender or cool a bit and puree in blender.
Notes
Save time by cooking the tomato cream sauce while simultaneously cooking the jambalaya. When the sauce is finished, set aside and cook pasta while jambalaya is finishing.